Once Upon A Nightmare
by chuchinha
Summary: GaaNaru Yaoi Fanfic; M; with a bunch of other couples you love but are too scared to admit.. It's my first story being published so I hope you like it Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

Once Upon a Nightmare

AU where Gaara isn't the Kazekage, Sasuke is back and a lot of people have a lot of secrets.

GaaNaru (mainly many many more *evil laugh* )

Waking with a sudden jolt, sweating and panting, Gaara gets up and walks his was to the bathroom. He knows, it's happened again, the nightmares, the horrible scenarios in which he loses himself. Turning on the tap and looking into the mirror while his hands are being drowned in hot water he hears a voice.

"**Why do you bother Gaara? You know every time you close your eyes this happens" **This voice belongs to Shukaku, the monster within him, but though after years of fighting back he manages to control the beast, although there is an ounce of fear of him losing his control when he sees the ones he loves hurt.

"Because, I need to sleep, eventually" He was right, he managed to spend days without sleeping but sometimes he couldn't help but feel so fatigued. He washed his face, walked out into the balcony of his room and stared out into the night, thinking, what he could do to keep him occupied. He had tried almost everything, reading, writing, exercise, sports… but nothing seemed to work.

"Gaara, you had nightmares again didn't you?" said a female figure at the door. This woman was tall and slender, but above all, Gaara's sister. One of the few people he cared about truly.

"How did you know?"

"You kept screaming…"

"Oh. Do I always scream?"

"Most of the time, I brought you a glass of water an-" she was cut off by a hug. Gaara wasn't the type of person to come out and hug someone, even if it was out of love. So she just stayed holding him until he let go and walked back into bed, Temari knew this was the time to leave and so she did.

Inside the village of Konoha, Uzumaki Naruto was in a bar by himself, drinking sake till no end. After all, it was the year anniversary of his godfather Jiraiya's death.

"**You can't drink this much Uzumaki, you can't handle it.**" Of course he ignored the Kyuubi and continued to drink away his pain. He hadn't realized it before but he never really grieved Jiraiya's death, he honoured it, but didn't grief. That time had finally come.

Looking around at all the other people together, laughing and having a good time, Naruto felt as if the pain was too big to bear, there was no one around to share his pain… Pein, he had killed their sensei, the man who cared and taught them. Although Naruto was over it he still couldn't help but be angry at Pein, even though he was now dead as well. He just wished he had company. Every other friend of his was busy with their dates. The night was going to be lonely. He always had the beast in him but tonight he couldn't care less about it.

_I hope you're in a better place Ero-Sennin…_

As the dreaded night prolongs itself with drink flowing and random chatter from random strangers in the bar, which this boy couldn't give less than a damn about, Naruto decides it's time to finds his way home; walking in this city at night, a lone, has made this the worst night so far. No one to talk to, to keep him company he can't help but think of his mentor. Looking up into the night sky he's forced to feel small. There are some difficulties to find the key and put it in the lock, he's stumbling and can't seem to stand up straight, and he finally managed. While he enters his house he sees the one picture he owned of himself and Jiraiya on the table near the door still with the flowers his best friend, Sakura, had given him... _They're wilting_, holding the picture in his hand the blond leans his back against the wall, sliding down and falling to the floor he begins to cry. Maybe this is a healthier way to deal with the pain. He seems to not understand why Jiraiya had to die; couldn't he help change the world while still alive? Was that really his fate? These questions rolled around his mind until he finally fell asleep on the cold wooden floor of his foyer.

Morning sunlight breaks in through the window, hitting Naruto in the face causing him to wake up with a discomfort; sleeping on the floor made his back hurt. Feeling dizzy and nauseous he regrets his drinking decisions from the night before, but this won't stop him from leaving the house; getting up and walking into the bathroom he washes his face. His face is a mess, horrible bags, his hair is a disgrace and the morning breath mixed with pings of sake. _Why did I drink that much… I need to go train_. Deciding to take a shower he takes off his clothes throwing them on the floor, turns the water on and places himself inside the shower. The hot, steaming water hitting his naked chest and running down his back; it's refreshing, it wakes him up and he knows he's ready for a new day. After getting dressed he heads out to Sakura's house. But as soon as he steps out of his house he hears a voice.

"Mah, Naruto."

"Eh? Ah Kakashi-sensei, what do you want?"  
"A little cold aren't we this morning? Tsunade-sama wants to see you."  
"Ehh! Now? But I wanted to go ask Sakura to have brunch with me before I went training… Okay, I'll go to her now." _What can Tsunade-baa-chan want now?_

Walking into the Hokage's building there's a lot of commotion, more than usual. There are people running for papers and shouting orders – something's not right.

"You wanted to see me? Oh, hey Sakura.. What's wrong? You seem upset."

"Nothing, just listen to Tsunade-sama." Tsunade's face looks concerned; surely Naruto won't like what's going to be said.

"Naruto, you need to clear your head. We can't have you like this. I'm not talking this from a Hokage's perspective but as someone who cares about you. Konoha isn't doing you any good, especially now since Jiraya's death." _The godaime's face talking about Ero-sennin's death, that's pain. She feels the same as me but can't show it, she has to be strong for everyone…_

"Can I choose where I go to?"

"If it's acceptable, yes you can."  
"Then I choose Suna."  
"I figured you would, I've talked to The Kazekage there and we've made arrangements for you to stay there. But you'll need to stay with Gaara for a while because the place you're staying is under renovation."

"That sounds fine with me.. If that's all I'll start packing now.. Sakura, come with me."

Going down the stairs of the Hokage's building Naruto remains silent, filling the air with awkwardness. He keeps gawking at Sakura trying to say something but whenever he tried to he ended up chewing his words. Something was obviously bothering him and Sakura couldn't stand it.

"Naruto, what do you say for us to go grab something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry…"

"But you're always hungry, and besides, if you're going to Suna you might as well go on a full stomach don't you think?" This was it. Naruto's face when she mentioned his leaving was covered in pain, but why? "Why is this bothering you so much?"

"… because my mentor, my sensei and my godfather has died Sakura! And what did we do? Go to war! I didn't mourn and I didn't have time to miss him because of all the commotion. But last night, last night just proved that it was real, he's gone and nothing can bring him back! I don't know what to do! Every family member I've ever had has died and I'm alone… I'm alone…" BAM! Naruto started feeling dizzy for a second and his head hurt, what happened? Oh. Sakura hit him, again.

"What was that for?!"

"For your stupid ass saying you're alone! What about me? Don't I count as anything? I've been here for you all along and I won't leave your side, I'm your best friend and I love you. I see you as a brother and I won't ever let you feel this way now let's go to my house and I'll make you ramen!" _She can even be mean when she's trying to console me… But I guess I feel a bit better._

Naruto had been very quiet as he made his way to Sakura's house, only thinking about leaving his home, leaving the village that tortured and ignored him as a child, the same one that now houses the very same people who now consider him a hero. Leaving the place he and his whole family were born into, leaving all his friends. It was going to be tough but at least he knew he'd be with one person he could trust above all, and he just might see Shikamaru from time to time seeing as he was Gaara's brother in law. When they finally arrived at the door of Sakura's home, he simply looked up at her, gave her a tight hug and whispered to her "Sakura-chan, gomen, I can't do this, say goodbye. I'm going home to pack now but I'll write you every time I can ok?" She was about to protest when she felt a tear fall down to her arm. Naruto, her best friend, was crying in her arms again, she had never thought that this would pain him so much so all she did was hug him back with equal strength until he released her and gave her a warm grin, turning his back and walking back to his home.

Back in Suna, the redheaded Gaara was planning out how he would accommodate his blonde friend better in his home while the house Naruto would be using was under renovation. He thought an all the things that could make Naruto feel more at home, and it hit him, he was going to buy a mini-fridge and place it in his room and fill it with Ramen. What more could make the blue eyed teenager happier than this? **"You sure are working hard to make this boy happy Garra. Why? **

"**How about, it's none of your damn business?"** was the 19 year olds response to the tailed beast in him. He didn't care what Shukaku taught, he only cared about greeting his friend with open arms and making sure he'd stay accommodated. After all, this was his last year as just a regular Shinobi. Next year, he was going to fulfil his promise and become the Kazekage, but this year was the last year he could be and act his age… And with Naruto around, it would be easy.

Temari walked into Gaara installing the mini-fridge and looked somewhat confused, until she saw the packaging of Ramen that her brother bought and instantly knew it was for their soon to arrive guest. She was always looking for a way to help her brother do something he enjoyed, because that way she could be close to him when he wasn't upset or screaming in the dead of night. And it would be easier now because Konoha's number one unpredictable Ninja had a calming and soothing effect on her brother, she didn't know why but she always wished he was there when she ran to her brother's screams.

The redhead was done socking the mini-fridge and had a rare, but pleasant smile on his face. This is how Temari liked to see her younger sibling, and she would see him even 'happier' when Naruto arrived. She got the servants to fetch new silk bed sheets from the store, as was tradition in their house. When they arrived they brought back 3 different coloured sheets; white, red and black. Giving the choice to her brother Gaara pointed to the black ones, meaning that they would be the ones to be used tonight.

"Ladies, if you could bring me some fur wraps and place them on the balcony it would be wonderful" Said Temari in a sweet yet demanding tone, and the servant girls nodded and went. Gaara looked at her with slight of a bemused look on his face, not believing that she would ask that.

"I know he likes to stay on the balcony and look at the stars, last time he stayed here he was there almost every night when you were on missions."

"Looking at the stars…" Temari was slightly confused as to why this was the part that her brother thought best to extract from her little explanation but didn't fret over it. She left the redhead in his room and continued to run errands. "_I might just go for a run before he gets here_" these were Gaara's thoughts and he did. Some people couldn't understand how the boy could run for 4 or 5 hours straight without getting exhausted.


	2. Chapter 2

Arriving home Naruto follows his daily ritual; gets inside his house, removes his shoes, looks at the framed photograph of his godfather and says a silent thank you. Moving into his room to pack his bag he notices that his house is a mess and filled with dust and it's most probably going to be worse now that he's going to Suna. Moving into his bedroom he picks up his bag in the hallway closet; flipping it upside down and patting it so it's relieved of its dust; he notices that something small fell outside his bag. When he bends down to pick it up, noticing that it was a passport sized photo of Neji, the blonde is instantly filled with regret; as he continues to pack his bag and make his way to Suna he remembers everything that had happened between him and his ex-boyfriend.

During the time Naruto was so bent on finding Sasuke and bringing him back to Konoha he was involved with the Hyuuga, both romantically and sexually. It could be said that the blond had an unhealthy obsession with bringing the Uchiha back that he ignored his boyfriend, didn't care about what he wanted or needed. That drove his brunette lover away in one of the most painful ways possible.

- Start Flashback -

"Naruto, I was wondering if you'd like to go to Ichiraku's to get ramen with me." Neji asked Naruto, trying to get his attention away from the wall filled with photos and maps of where Orochimaru could be keeping Sasuke.

"You don't like ramen."

"But you do, and you haven't been eating well lately… I'm starting to get worried."

"Neji, I'm trying to find Sasuke. If you're not going to be any help I suggest you leave now."

"I'm trying to care for you! You can't ask me to leave. You know that if finding Sasuke is this important to you I'll stay here and try to help you find him! Damn it Naruto! Stop pushing me away!"

"Leave." Speechless, Neji just stands up and walks away. He's tired of the blonde's obsession, it felt like he didn't care for him anymore; the brunette was at his limit.

- End Flashback -

That was one of the few times Naruto knew he had hurt him, until today he couldn't believe he had been that arrogant and rude to his former lover. But from then things just got worse. Remember everything he had done to Neji brought tears to Naruto's eyes and it made his stomach hurt. But not as much as what happened after Sasuke was safely back home. As his search made progress Naruto got more and more fanatic and obsessed with his friend, only talking about him. The day that Tsunade confirmed the Uchiha's location was the last straw for Neji and that was the moment he had to end it all.

- Start Flashback -

"Neji, I have GREAT news!" Naruto shouted, while running frantically towards his boyfriend.

"What is it?" The brunette asked with much curiosity because it's been ages since he's seen Naruto so happy. He wondered that if it was because it was there two year anniversary. Neji had a gift for Naruto, something he knew the blond would love. This gift made Neji hurt a bit because it had nothing to do with him.

"I know wh-" Naruto was cut off by seeing the wrapped box his lover had in his hands. He had completely forgotten about their anniversary. _Fuck! I am so dead!_

"You came running all this way, to tell me that you found that bloody Uchiha?! Today, of all fucking days you couldn't keep that fucking obsession of yours under control?!" The Hyuuga was revolted and quite frankly disgusted. "Here's your fucking gift! I don't care what you do now because you and I are OVER!" Turning on his heels and walking away Neji had made his stand and he wouldn't turn back on it, not after all that he had to endure; countless hours of talking about Sasuke, days, months, years. He was tired, he deserved better than this.

Naruto felt somewhat upset, but it wasn't enough to ruin his mood due to the news that the Hokage had given him, he knew where Sasuke was! But he looked at the package in his hands; it was covered in an orange wrapping with a big blue bow. He opened it and was dumbfounded; refusing to believe what it was he dropped it onto the floor before picking it up again. It was Sasuke's headband. The one he had cracked while fighting him in the Valley of the End. He couldn't believe it, but he knew why Neji would give him this. When Naruto ran after Sasuke in attempt to stop him from joining Orochimaru they had fought, with intent to kill, it was one of the most intense things the blonde had done. After their battle Naruto had collapsed, Tsunade had seen this coming so she sent out a "rescue team" to get the Uzumaki back; Neji was part of this team and when they reached the Valley right after seeing his soon to be lover he found the Uchiha's head band and kept it to one day give to Naruto.

The blonde officially felt like crap. But, he'd see Sasuke soon so that was good and there was no time to think that his boyfriend just broke up with him. Dashing to get Sakura, Kakashi and Sai he fumbles a few times and hits the floor, he's erratic and uncontrollable; he ignores every warning from Kurama talking about Neji. Surprisingly enough, the nine tails actually liked Neji, because he knew that when Neji was around, his Jinchuriki would be in a safe place, and the fox did care about the boy. When Naruto reached and told Sakura all she did was cry so the blonde had to carry her to Sai and Kakashi. Team 7 was going to be whole again. They all ran together to one of the lairs which Sasuke was hiding in and arriving there they found the Uchiha lying on the floor, covered in blood, pale and unconscious. Kakashi summoned his Ninken and asked them to scout the area for any traces of whoever might have done that to Sasuke, Pakkun found a scale like object but not quite a snake scale. Kakashi tough this to be vital and took it so the ANBU could pursue it further, whoever did this needs to be found and reprehended, no matter what, because Sasuke is still a Shinobi from Konoha. After a long while of seeing Naruto and Sakura cry, seeing Sakura heal Sasuke's wounds and having Sai just standing there, not knowing what to do, Kakashi decided that it was time to go. Carrying the Uchiha on his back they make their way back to their home. When they get there their sensei instantly takes the raven haired boy to the hospital and had him admitted, his wounds would have been fatal if not for Sakura.

After 3 days of having stayed by his side, Naruto decides it's about time for a shower. When he decides to leave and go to his house he hears a voice that could only belong to one person.

"Thank you for having stayed cry baby. And thank you for not giving up on me." Sasuke mutters with a very small, yet visible smile.  
"Anything for you, they said that when you woke up you could leave, but you can't work out or exert yourself too much…" The blonde says with tears streaming down his face. He's finally happy.

Days go by, months go by, and he and Neji aren't back together, nor will they ever be. He now realizes how much of an asshole he was and he's done everything in his power to make the Hyuuga forgive him, but it's all in vain. And the most surprising is that even though Neji knew that Naruto had developed a sort of crush on Sasuke over the past months, because they were always together and Naruto felt like Sasuke needed him, The brunette came to his ex-lover with some shocking news;

"Naruto… I need to talk to you about something…"

"Okay… why do you look so serious though? Is it about Hinata? Is she okay?"

"My cousin is fine. This is about me and Sasuke. I need you to understand and accept it… okay?"  
"You're scaring me Neji.. What is it?"  
"He and I are a couple. We're together and we've been together for almost a month. He was scared to tell you because he didn't know how you would react. Are you okay with that?" Naruto was baffled; he didn't know how he felt. He just couldn't understand one thing."  
"How is it that you are now dating, the man who drew us apart?"  
"You still don't get it do you? Sasuke didn't make us brake up. You did, with your obsession. I've always liked him ad now that we spent more time together I realized I really liked him. Please don't hate me Naruto."  
"I… I don't Neji. I've asked him to date me, he said no, because of another guy who I now assume is you. I have to go… Take care of him will you?"

"I will…" Naruto turn and moves towards his training ground, when he arrives he just sits down and cries. He lost Neji, and now Sasuke. He can't have either of them. What now?

- End Flashback -

"**Those are some dark memories kozu… how long has it been since then? 6/7 months and you're fine with that. You've grown."**

"**I hate to admit it but it's thanks to you Kurama." **Naruto isn't one to have conversations with his Bijuu but this one is one that he would remember forever. It wasn't a lie; Kurama helped him grow in many ways as he helped Kurama grow too.

"_**Oh look, we're here."**_


	3. Chapter 3

"Naruto!" Gaara calls out at the gate trying to get the blondes attention.

"Hey! I got here so fast that I was stunned for a while..."

"That's fine, come on, let's go drop your stuff off and then go get a bite to eat."

"Sounds good. What are we going to eat?"

"Surprise." With this being said, they turn to walk towards Gaara's house. Everyone in Suna knows Naruto so to him it's like walking back at home; saying hello to everyone that passed by, high-fiving little children. It was very welcoming for him and he liked it. Gaara just kept his pace, no smiling, no talking, as was expected; after being around him a lot Naruto had grown accustomed to this silence and felt comfort in it. He knew that the redhead wasn't one to talk much and didn't find it awkward anymore.

They just pass by Gaara's house and give the blonde's bag to one of the servant girls who were there to greet them. The blonde was slightly confused as to what was happening, whenever he came here they always ended up eating Sushi at Gaara's favourite place, but this time they were going in a whole other direction. The redhead pointed in the direction of a small dinner almost at the end of the street they were walking in, it was difficult for Naruto to read the sing from afar but as he got closer he could see the name of the dinner "Naruto", completely dazzled by this he couldn't find words to speak, he was stunned, Gaara just laughed because this was the reaction he was hoping for.

"You like it? I had Kankuro get it built, in honour of you… I mean you did kind of save my life. Beat me up 4 years ago but saved me last year. I owe you a lot and I think this is the best way to do it…"

"Gaara, I. Damn, this is amazing; I wasn't expecting this and… You spoke a lot just now."

"Shut up."

"That's better. But thank you so much, it's the best present anyone has ever given me." His friend smiled at him, quite pleased with himself. Going inside the dinner Naruto was stunned, looking at every little detail, how the seats were arranged; the chairs had blue and orange cushions, the tables were round and had the swirl that naruto's had, the workers uniform was orange for the women and blue form the men. Naruto noticed that the puppet master had a private booth set up for him and his friends, the two boys made their way down there and sat. While the blonde looked through the menu Gaara was scanning the room as if he was looking for someone, the blond didn't seem to notice. When they came to take their order the blonde was completely dumbfounded at who he saw;

"Ichiraku'?!"

"Hey Naruto, surprised to see me? Well Gaara here called me two days ago asking if I could come here to teach the cooks how to make ramen, almost as good as mine, and I couldn't say no, especially when he told me that it was in honour of you! I said yes and came as quick as I could. Oh and give me that menu, you know I'll make you the best Misu Pork Ramen you've ever had!"

"Thank you, Gaara… This is amazing." The redhead limited himself to smiling. They ate, Naruto had his ramen and Gaara ate sushi made by Ichiraku, which he had to admit tasted pretty good. After that they went on a little stroll through Suna and at sunset headed back to Gaara's house.

"I'll show you the house you're going to stay in tomorrow and then you can add your own little bits and pieces."

"Thanks. This is your room right? Can we crash here for a while?" Naruto asks, opening the door wide, and then he stops in his tracks, looking at the setup of the room, the black sheets, beautiful silk, soft and inviting, and… _"A mini-fridge?" _that was new. He walks in slowly, taking it all in, how the bed seems to stand out in the delicacy of the room, moving towards the balcony, his favourite place in Gaara's house, he was the fur wraps. He knew this was Temari's doing and he couldn't help but smile a little. It felt like home; calm, warm, and inviting.

"You really did something here Gaara." The redhead was with his usual neutral expression; not looking straight at the blonde, seemingly to avoid his gaze, all he did was walk towards his balcony, not saying a word until he sat down and wrapped himself around the fur wraps, he signalled Naruto to join him. The blond didn't sit down immediately, he took a deep breath of air and starred at the sky for a couple of seconds, and then he sat down next to his friend.

"Why do you look at the stars?" The blue eyed boy was taken aback by this question, and now that he thought about he hasn't heard a word from the Kyuubi in a while today.

"Um… It's complicated, I'm not sure I can explain." But the redhead said nothing and kept looking at his friend waiting for an answer.

"Okay… Have you ever felt small? Insignificant? Alone?" As soon as the words slipped his mouth he realised what a stupid question that was, of course he did, he was a Jinchuriki as well, and he was forced to feel all these things. "Never mind that, the stars make me feel that even more; they make me feel so small, but then I don't feel alone. I mean, if you can see a star shine that's billions of miles away, surrounded but a billion other stars, it's impossible to feel alone. They have something close to them and I have people close to me. I felt bad after Jiraiya died and I felt more alone than I did when I was teased as a little kid for having the "demon" sealed inside me, I didn't know where to turn to, who to go to… I was so lost. But then I looked up; some people say that starts are the souls of the people who've passed on and that kind of game me hope. I know it's not true but the idea that Jiraiya's soul live through, more than just from his books, by stars, something so beautiful that you see every day, I felt less alone…" Gaara looked slightly confused by what his friend said to him, he didn't understand it fully and he wasn't sure why, but he tried hard not to look so confused for Naruto's sake.

"I hope you don't mind but I'm going to sleep ok? See 'ya tomorrow Gaara." Naruto felt the room and headed to the guest room. He was supposed to sleep here but the redhead understood that his friend wanted a moment to be with himself.

Gaara went back into his room, shutting the balcony door behind him. He made his way into the bathroom and turned on the shower, as he got undressed he looked in the mirror, the bags under his eyes still there, _"damn them."_ Now standing naked, waiting for the water to boil, he thought about what Naruto said about the stars; he couldn't understand why he didn't understand or why he felt something when Naruto talked. Sometimes he thought he was crazy because he didn't understand the simplest things that were said to him. Steam started to fill the bathroom, the water seemed to be good, he stepped inside and the water hit his naked chest, running down his body, this was refreshing, it seemed to make him relax. He stuck his head into the running water; his red hair was wet and covered his vision, he passed his hands through his hair, pulling it back at let the water hit his bare face. He felt like he should go be with his friend, talk to him about what's really bothering him. He's known Naruto for too long to know that Jiraiya's death is what's making him this upset. Turning his back to the water he thinks about it properly. "_It does make sense that Naruto is this upset; he's lost all of his family, and the only person alive from his clan, which are known of, is Karin, that Sasuke-crazed-bitch that tried to kill him a few couple of times. But he has so many people that care about him; Kakashi, Iruka, Sakura, Hinata, Kiba. Actually, everyone in Konoha cares for him. Why does he feel so alone?" _And somehow it hit him; _"Sasuke"_ After all, Naruto's had a thing for him for quite a while, even when he was with Neji. And now Neji and Sasuke are together, that must make him feel like he messed up big time, that he couldn't make even a simple relationship work. _"I don't know how to help him here. I'm afraid I mess up, say something I shouldn't... Fuck"_

Getting out of the shower he realised he spent about 40 minutes in there, trying to make sense of it all. He dries himself with a towel he had near-by and slips into red briefs and heads down to his bed. He lies down on his bed, maybe tonight he'll sleep.

"_Wake up! You're going to get us killed! Gaara please!" he heard a voice, Temari. But he couldn't control his body; he was stuck, loosing himself. He struggles within his biju, he can't get. "Temari!" every time he spoke his sister flinched, maybe she couldn't hear him, maybe all she heard was Shukaku growling and shouting. "You're going to get us all killed please stop this Gaara!" She had tears streaming down her face, and she was holding someone… Kankuro! His siblings were in danger and he was the one causing it. He has no control over himself and he's got them lured into a corner, they can't escape. "FUCK! Temari, Kankuro! I'm sorry, I don't mean it, and I can't control it! I'm trying so hard!" Now tears were streaming down his face. He looks around the room and he sees something that made him shout, it was his mother and father, dead on the floor, all covered in blood, ripped apart. "No! NO! Mom! Dad! Please no!" But the beast turned his head away and looked back at his siblings and started stalking over towards them, slowly, making it even more agonising for Gaara to watch. The look of despair, fear and hate in his sisters eyes; this is what he's most afraid of, being the reason behind that look, on his sibling. He had to find a way out, he tried shutting his eyes but it was as if they were tapped open. Shukaku raised his hand and swung at temari, "NO!"_


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up with the sound of a scream Naruto rushes out of bed and goes to the only place where that could come from, running out of his room through the hallway in only his orange boxers, banging on the door of Gaara's room. It's not budging, no matter how hard he tried, he called out to him but there was no answer. _Of all days why did you have to lock your door tonight Gaara?_ Temari shortly after joins Naruto at the door of Gaara's room; shooting a glance at the blond boy he knows that it's time to break the door down so he does. He looks directly at the bed to see Gaara sweating and shaking in his bed, holding onto the pillow covered in silk. Slowly moving towards the red head he notices the expression of pain, and the tears his friend is shedding. Looking closer at his friend the blonde notices that he's mumbling some words, he listens closer and he realises that he's saying "I'm sorry, Temari." Naruto signals temari to move closer, so she does. She hugs her brother and kisses his forehead lightly, holding him, comforting him a little, he then falls back asleep.

"How often does this happen, Temari?"

"More than you'd imagine. I got worse since Shukaku was removed, it keeps getting worse. I don't know what to do, I can't even stay with him, once I did and he had a nightmare right after… He goes into frenzy and he almost hurt me. He told me to never stay with him after he falls back asleep, I never know what to do, and I've slept outside in the hallway so many times. I-"

"I'll stay with him. Don't look at me with that face, I'm as strong as him, he can't hurt me. I'll stay. You go sleep ok?"  
"Are you sure? Thank you so much, Naruto." She walked out and left her brother to his care.

Naruto lay on the bed next to his friend and watched him for a while, looking at the way his chest raised when he breathed, but it was upsetting him because it wasn't regular, he wasn't asleep. He was still panicking; he just did that for his sister.

"I know what you're doing; she left the room so you can stop." The redhead shits and sits next to his blonde guest, still breathing rather heavily, not knowing what to say.

"How many times have you pretended to be asleep just so Temari could leave the room?"

"Ever since the 1st night after the war… I never manage to fall asleep after, I just pretend to so Temari can leave in case I snap."  
"But you won't, you have self-control Gaara, you know how to separate dreams from reality. You're not a Jinchuuriki anymore." With this Gaara's eye lightened a bit, but he was still shaking from his previous shock. Of course he knew this but he still had the fear that the evil sunk into him.

"I'll tell you what. You close your eyes and go to sleep and I'll stay right by your side all night. Okay?"

Gaara was exhausted, and there was no one else he trusted as much as he did Naruto, so he gladly accepted. He knew that Naruto would stop his if he tried anything so as he lay on his pillow he tried to stifle a smile, and he thought it worked but Naruto got a glimpse of it and smiled himself. This was good for him, helping his friend out again, it brought back memories.

It's late in the morning the next day; Naruto is in the balcony watching the movement of Suna when he hears the rustling of his friend's bed. He was actually quite surprised that Gaara managed to sleep a whole of 7 hours after Temari left his room. He moved towards the door of the redhead's room and signalled a servant girl to bring breakfast. Shortly after she´s with a tray, Naruto gladly takes it from her and places it on the bedside table next to his older friend.

"Hey, wake up.."  
"N-naruto… what time is it?"

"It's a bit after 11 a.m. you slept a whole night after I told you to sleep. How do you feel?"

"I feel, great. I haven't slept like this before. I… Thank you."

"Good. Now shut up and eat. You have 2 teas to choose from; Chamomile and Lavender. You have toast and cereal. I'll go shower so eat that entire tray, okay?" His barely heard what Naruto had to say, he was already pouring his tea, Lavender by the smell, into his teacup and had a slice of toast hanging from his mouth. The blonde laughed on his way to the bathroom. His shower was rather long; he was giving Gaara time to eat and to relax. And quite frankly he was enjoying Gaara's bathroom; it was spacious, not at all like his, but after all, this was the Kazekage's house, he couldn't expect much from it. The water was hot and somewhat scorching his chest, but it felt good. He passed his hand through his blonde hair, just to loosen it up because it was somewhat knot-y. Not long after that he exits the bathroom leaving a cloud of steam behind him, wearing just his orange boxers and black trousers that hung from his hips, showing off all of his muscles on his upper torso. He walks towards Gaara's bed and lies down next to his friend. ~

"You're getting the silk wet."

"There's the gloomy Gaara we all know and love!" Says Naruto laughing, patting Gaara on the back he starts to feel more relaxed knowing that he helped his friend feel this way. The redhead gets up and starts to stretch, he really has never felt so refreshed, and glancing back to his bed he notices something that he failed to see before; Naruto laying on his bed gives his room a whole new look. The blonde hair reflected on the black silk, dark versus light, hope versus despair, how did he fail to see this before? It sounds ridiculous but it seems as though Naruto is shining where he lay, removing all pain and sorrow within his dark room, cleansing his very soul. The realization of this was shocking but he was grateful for it; he's always known that Naruto was the light to his darkness; he only wishes it could've been this obvious before. This could be the start of something wonderful…


	5. Chapter 5

Hello all Happy new years and such to you great, amazing, wonderfull people and thank you for still reading this ^^ I am so glad I haven't bored you with this pre-fluff. So before we progress any further I feel the need to remind you that this is a yaoi m-rated ff in which there is violence, gore, and sex. I post this on different sites so in certain chapters I will direct you to the site in which you will read the m-rated sexual scenes (if that's your thing) But for now it's cool ;)

_I can't believe that I slept for 7 hours straight, without nightmares. I truly owe so much to Naruto, he's constantly helping me with everything and I'm so glad to have him with me._ Gaara is deep in thought about the happening of the former night, trying to think of some way he could possibly pay Naruto back for all the help he's been. He decided to take a bath, he's submerged in water, how long has it been since he's felt this relaxed? The water surrounds him completely just leaving his shoulders and hear out of the water, perhaps this is a cleanse, perhaps things will now change for the better.

"Hey Gaara, you shouldn't stay in the water so long, we need to train!" Naruto's knocking on his bathroom door and yells startle the redhead out of his own thoughts.

"Go alone."

"You have to stop being so cold baka! I want to train with you so stop being such and ass!"

"You're swearing too much. Stop hanging out with Sai. And go away, I'll meet you later."

"Urgh you're so frustrating. I'll tell your sister where I'm going, see if you show up!" The blond stammers off and slams his friend's bedroom door behind him.

The redhead sinks his head into the water to block the sound of his friend stomping on the ground. _Maybe I was a little too cold… He did help me get back to sleep; maybe I should've gone with him._ As he thought about this he rose from the tub and wrapped a towel around his waist, water dripping onto the ground from his hair, getting slight chills on his back from the slight breeze through the bathroom window he moves to the sink to look at the bags under his eyes. _Still there. They probably won't go away._ Opening the door of his bedroom he sees someone he wasn't expecting to see, especially not in his bedroom. He was tall, not very muscular but well defined, wearing a jounin vest, black hair put around into a ponytail that spiked upwards like a pineapple; it was his sister's boyfriend and a very close friend of Naruto, Shikamaru. Confused and to why he's there Gaara doesn't bother putting clothes on and ask Shikamaru directly;

"Why are you here?"

"I was with your sister when she came to see you last night, and I bumped into Naruto on my way here. I was going to ask you about your dream but now I'd rather know about why Naruto told me you were 'a complete jerk' after what he did for you last night?"

"I was in the bath, and he wanted to train so I told him to go on ahead and that I would catch up."

"You don't know where he's training."  
"I know exactly where he's training, he's trained in the same spot ever since the 1st time he came here with me. Temari didn't even need to tell me."

"He's angry."

"I'll make it stop."

"Troublesome." This being the last thing Shikamaru says before turning to walk towards the door Gaara gets up and walks towards his dresser and says "You're good for her. You make her happy; don't hurt my sister, or I will kill you." The black haired boy stops at the door acknowledging the words of his brother-in-law without turning back to face him, he nods and leave Gaara's room.

Closing the door of his bedroom he leaves his house and heads to the training ground he showed Naruto. It was a bit of a walk from Gaara's house so the redhead ran so to get a warm-up, his sandals sinking into the sand with every step he takes, the wind hitting his face, the voices of the children playing in the streets and their laughs; he never noticed these things before, maybe because he was constantly fighting his drowsiness, but now that he does it's wonderful. Arriving at the training ground the redhead looks at all the sand, the way the sun reflects against it, then he spots his friend, training his physical power and stamina, doing push-ups wearing nothing but his pants. Walking up to Naruto he notices every little detail surrounding his friend, his skin, his hair, they seem brighter due to the reflection of the sun on them. He looks stunning, more than a human, he looks godlike; centred in his training that he hadn't even noticed Gaara showing up.

"Oi, don't tire yourself out."

"Go away, I don't want you here."

"You. What? Why all of the sudden change?"

"If you had come with me earlier I would've wanted you here. I don't anymore so go away and let me train on my own."  
"I came here for you! I'm not even that much behind, just an hour and a half. What got you so riled up?!"

"You know, it's nothing! You want to train? Do it by yourself because you sure as hell won't get any help from me! Now either go train somewhere else or stop talking to me."  
"Naruto-"

"Okay, seeing as you're so bent on staying I'm leaving. Does that sound good to you?" Without a moment's hesitation the blonde is up on his feet collecting his things, he starts to move away from Gaara but he's stopped by the redhead's hold on his wrist.

"Let go." But Gaara doesn't, this forces Naruto to swing his arm to free himself from Gaara's grip, and without looking back he leaves the training ground abandoning Gaara with a confused look on his face.


End file.
